


hold it against me

by tycutiovevo



Category: Romeo And Juliet - Shakespeare
Genre: M/M, alright uhh, fae!mercutio, hey what the fuck one of the tags got messed up. oh well, mild gore warning?, not using traditional speech even though its the sixteenth century because i can do what i want, several mentions of throwing up so uhh yeah
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-06-13
Packaged: 2020-05-02 09:57:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19196545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tycutiovevo/pseuds/tycutiovevo
Summary: After incurring the wrath of the fae Mercutio, how will Verona survive his plague?





	hold it against me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [benvoliio](https://archiveofourown.org/users/benvoliio/gifts), [SKwriter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SKwriter/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Not Quite Mortal](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/490048) by hanatriestowrite. 



> Fan sequel to a fic by @hanatriestowrite on tumblr and fanfic for art done by @benvoliio !

The first effect of Mercutio’s plague was immediate. Once Mercutio had disappeared in a fog of thick smoke, Tybalt’s body shook violently before he retched onto the stone, a dark purple ooze melting into the cracks of the street. Those who’d come back to their senses tried to help him, but Tybalt put out a hand to ward them off. He tried to stand, shaking on unsteady legs, before falling back to his knees and throwing up once more. Tybalt held his throat, trying to say something, but it was no use. His body swayed for a moment before it collapsed against the stone. Benvolio and Romeo could only look on, too shocked from everything that had happened to be of any help. A few Capulets tried to rouse him, before lifting him between them and shouting for a doctor. The shock that had paralyzed the crowd dissipated as people rushed through the streets, vainly trying to do something. Romeo lifted a hand to his mouth, his stomach twisting at the way Tybalt’s body hung limp between his kinsmen. Benvolio put a hand on his shoulder, and Romeo watched as a dark storm of emotions brewed on his cousin’s face. “Go tell Friar Laurence what has happened,” He said, and Romeo didn’t want to try protesting. He simply ran.

The second wave of Mercutio’s plague was less obvious. As Tybalt was looked over by Friar Laurence, the rest of Verona’s doctors rushed to aid everyone else. Capulets and Montagues fell ill faster than any one person could get well. No one died, but no one recovered. Only some were spared the sickness that kept others from moving from their beds. Benvolio and Romeo both escaped the plague-like illness, as did Juliet. Even attending Tybalt’s bedside wasn’t enough to pass it on. As three children of the houses stayed healthy, one steadily got worse.

The final wave of the plague came as a choking fog that strangled Verona’s crops. Nothing would grow within the city’s walls, and any crops brought inside would rot immediately. Food was rationed out, and the people’s health deteriorated as the food supply thinned. Those who were still healthy enough to move gave up most of their rations to the sick.

Mercutio’s rage had a price, and Verona was now paying it.

 

* * *

For the first time since anyone could remember, Verona’s streets were quiet. Barely a soul stirred outside, most too busy tending to the ill to have the time to be out in the open. People carried on with a glassy look in their eyes, exhausted and malnourished. 

At first, the Capulets and the Montagues shunned one another, too proud to lend the other a hand. That changed quickly as the Lord and Lady of each house succumbed to the plague. It was only from their illnesses that they sought peace, and the two houses seemed to become one as servants and kinsmen from each house mingled into the other, two families bustling through the halls of their enemies’ houses. 

Their goodwill didn’t go unnoticed. The whole of Verona seemed to come together despite the plague that haunted the streets. The town became one family, everyone willing to lend a hand to their fellow man. As the ill will that had been rampant for years began to bleed away, it was replaced with a peace and kinsmanship that was stronger than the hate that had bred it. 

The only person unaffected by it all was Tybalt. Sequestered away from his family and the rest of Verona, Tybalt’s condition worsened. The plague affected him differently than the rest of the town. While most only suffered a prolonged fever or cold, Tybalt’s body was wracked by stranger ailments. He continued to vomit the purplish-black ooze, his body never able to get rid of it all. His scars turned black and bled as if they were fresh wounds. He caught sleep only in snatches, and he refused to eat. Dark bags formed under his eyes, and his voice was hoarse from the perpetual black ooze. Nothing the doctors or Friar Laurence did helped, and Juliet could only watch as her cousin slipped closer to death everyday.

Romeo and Benvolio joined Juliet at Tybalt’s side not long after their families had began their truce. Tybalt, despite how hateful he’d been toward the Montagues before falling ill, had nothing to say to them. His body was drained of emotion; the only thing he expressed was pain. 

“What are we going to do?” Romeo asked weakly, his arm holding Juliet loosely as they sat at Tybalt’s bedside. 

“ _ I  _ am going to kill Mercutio if I ever see him again,” Juliet growled. Her hand was resting on Tybalt’s, and despite her rage her touch was still gentle.

“That won’t get rid of this plague, but your anger is justified,” Benvolio mused, leaning against the wall. His face was still as dark as the day Mercutio had disappeared, a thundercloud ready to burst. “I would want to do the same if I were you.”

“So what can we do?” Juliet asked, looking up at Benvolio. “Our families may be at peace now but they’re still sick, and we’re running out of food. Soon we’ll all start dying,” She looked back at Tybalt, tears starting to brim in her eyes. “Some of us...sooner than others.”

“Hold on, don’t go there just yet. There’s still time for us to figure something out,” Romeo pressed a quick kiss to Juliet’s forehead, and Juliet leaned against him.

“Unfortunately, the only thing we can do is try and reason with him,” Benvolio said, pulling away from the wall to sit with his cousin. “If we can find him.”

A choked laugh echoed through the room as Tybalt slowly sat up, coughing into his hand. “Good luck,” He said, voice hoarse and hollow. “There’s no way he’ll listen to any of us now.”

Benvolio thought for a moment. “That may not be true, Tybalt. He might listen to you.”

“Me?” Tybalt laughed before choking up again. He wiped a hand across his mouth, black blood dripping from his lips. “Yes, because he’ll listen to the person who killed him the first time.”

“You told us it was an accident, though,” Romeo piped up. 

“It was,” Tybalt stared forward at the wall, pulling his knees in towards his chest. “One slip of the hand, one small miscalculation,” Tybalt wheezed. 

Juliet put a hand on his leg, a small comfort. Tybalt looked at her, his eyes blurred with tears. “I’m supposed to be the best, and look what I’ve done. I’ve cursed our families with death because of a stupid mistake.”

A tear slipped down Tybalt’s cheek, blurring with the blood on his face. “What’s worse, I never...I never got to tell him-” Tybalt clapped a hand over his mouth before he vomited into the basin next to his bed. 

Juliet shot forward, putting a hand on Tybalt’s back. Romeo and Benvolio watched with concern as Tybalt’s body shook before falling back onto the bed with a weak thump. “I never told him the truth,” Tybalt hissed, his voice almost completely gone.

“You might be able to,” Benvolio stood up, walking towards the door. “If we can get you out of here, out of Verona without hurting you, we might be able to reverse all of this. There’s a fairy ring in the forest just outside the city walls...if we can get you there-”

“Benvolio, that’s too dangerous,” Romeo protested. “We can’t put him at risk like that, especially if a fae more malicious than Mercutio decides to show themself instead.”

“I’ll do it,” Tybalt said, a determined fire sparking in his eyes. “If there’s any chance to free Verona from this plague, I’ll take it.”

“Tybalt-” Juliet said, but Tybalt shook his head, stopping her from continuing.

“This is my fault, and I’m going to do whatever I can to fix it,” Tybalt turned to Benvolio, eyes narrowed. “Take me out of Verona and I’ll do whatever it takes to make things right.”

Benvolio nodded. “None of this is really your fault, it’s Mercutio’s, but he won’t see it that way. Are you sure you want to do this?”

Tybalt gave a short nod before trying to drag himself out of the bed, his body shaking with the effort. Romeo and Juliet hooked their arms around his waist, keeping him standing. “I’m ready.”

 

* * *

It took Romeo, Juliet, and Benvolio’s combined strength to get Tybalt out of Verona. Luckily there was no one to stop them; Verona’s streets were now haunted solely by the shadows cast by the moon. As they left the city’s walls, the air changed, clear of the sick that clung to Verona. Even by the light of the moon the forest looked lush and green, fireflies flitting between the grasses and tree branches. The woods were alive with the sounds and motions of its residents, a stark contrast to the city. 

It didn’t take them long to find the fairy ring. The circle of mushrooms stretched far across a clearing in the woods, the moon glowing bright above it all. Tybalt struggled out of their collective grip, moving forward on shaking legs.

“Tybalt, wait-” Juliet said, but Romeo caught her arm before she could move forward. He shook his head, and Juliet stayed put, watching Tybalt hobble forward into the ring.

As soon as he found himself inside, Tybalt dropped to his knees, his breathing ragged and heavy. “Come on,” he hissed, “Come out of hiding and talk to me, goddamnit.”

As if on his cue, the wind blowing through the trees froze, time coming to a standstill. The ring of mushrooms began to glow, a bright purple that illuminated the clearing in a wash of light. A familiar purple fog rolled through the ring, and in moments Mercutio was standing before them, contempt etching his features.

“Well, well, look who’s come to beg for my forgiveness,” Mercutio spread his arms, a malicious smile carving his face. His gaze didn’t fall on Tybalt, though. He stared right over him at Benvolio. “Ready to take back what you said?”

“No,” Benvolio said. “I was right. I’m simply here to help deliver a message.”

Mercutio raised an eyebrow, but before he could respond Juliet stepped forward into the ring, determination twisting her features into a deadly scowl. Before Romeo or Benvolio could stop her, Juliet squared up to Mercutio, staring up into his face. 

“I have a message of my own,” She growled before hooking Mercutio across the face with a fierce punch, leaving a burn across his cheek from the iron rings on her fingers. 

“That was for the people of Verona,” She spat before punching him again, this time aiming for his gut and burning a hole through his shirt. “That one was for my family, and this one-” She paused, bringing her fist down to her side. “Is for Tybalt, you bastard.” She shot her fist forward, cutting it up under his ribs. Mercutio wheezed violently, falling to his knees. The surprise of the assault along with the iron burns left him winded long enough for Romeo and Benvolio to drag Juliet out of the fairy ring. 

“Juliet-,” Tybalt hissed, but the sound of his voice attracted Mercutio’s attention. Mercutio stood and walked toward him, towering over him, his face unreadable. Tybalt looked up at him, and Mercutio stepped back, his face twisting with something like guilt.

“Tybalt-” Mercutio started, but he couldn’t find the words to finish. His eyebrows furrowed, and his face fell. 

“Mercutio,” Tybalt said, his hoarse voice making the word come out as a whisper. “I didn’t...I didn’t mean to hurt you,” He wheezed, thick black liquid leaking from his mouth. “Please, you have to-” He stopped, curling in on himself and retching onto the ground. The grass melted under the weight of the ooze, and the blades around it turned coal black. The plants surrounding Tybalt darkened as well, leaving a colorless hole inside the fairy ring.

Mercutio watched, his arm outstretched to help, before he pulled away, face once again twisting with hate. “I have to what? Stop this?  _ You  _ started this by killing me, and you can suffer for it.”

“Mercutio, he’s going to die if you don’t do something,” Romeo pleaded, stepping forward. “Our families have finally found peace between each other. That’s what you wanted, isn’t it? Isn’t what you’ve already done enough?”

Mercutio narrowed his eyes, baring his teeth in a snarl. “Why should I believe you?”

“You could see for yourself if you wanted to,” Juliet said, taking Romeo’s hand. “And you can start by looking at us.”

Mercutio stared at them for a moment, his cold gaze calculating, before giving a curt nod. “Your families have atoned, it seems, but that still leaves him,” Mercutio dropped to the ground, taking Tybalt’s chin in his hand and staring into his eyes. “Why should I spare you, hmm?”

“You shouldn’t,” Tybalt choked. “I made a mistake and now I’m paying for it. A mortal folly.”

Mercutio leaned in closer, his face inches away from Tybalt’s. “Explain.”

“I never meant to hurt you,” Tybalt wheezed. “But we aren’t perfect, are we? One slip of the hand and you were dead,” Tybalt dropped his gaze to Mercutio’s hand, his own coming up to cup it against his face. “Why would I want to hurt the person I love?”

Mercutio flinched, but Tybalt continued. “You can take my life if you want to, but don’t take theirs. Please…” Tybalt’s body wavered, and Mercutio had to catch him before his body could hit the ground. 

The mass of dying plants consumed the ring, only stopped by the mushrooms at the edge. Mercutio cradled Tybalt’s body, watching his breathing slow. Tears slipped down his cheeks, falling in drops onto Tybalt’s bloodied face. “You bastard,” Mercutio hissed, ducking his head down to rest his forehead on Tybalt’s. “You stupid, mortal bastard.”

All at once, a bright purple glow consumed the ring, blocking Mercutio and Tybalt from view. A wave of light echoed out from the ring, rippling across the ground in all directions. Romeo, Benvolio, and Juliet watched as the glow in the ring rippled before disappearing as quickly as it had come. The ring was empty.

“Tybalt!” Juliet cried, running forward and falling at the edge of the ring. “Give him back!” She screamed, pounding a fist into the ground. Her cries seemed to echo through the forest, returning the motion and life back to it.

Romeo was at her side in an instant, holding her in his arms and murmuring comforts. Benvolio simply stared at the ring, the ground inside no longer blackened but back to its lush green. Benvolio dropped down next to Juliet, placing a hand on her shoulder as she wept for her cousin. He didn’t try to offer her comfort, knowing that it wouldn’t help. Tybalt had made his own sacrifice.

 

* * *

 

Though the plague had lifted from Verona, the people did not rejoice. The families came together to mourn for their fallen kinsmen, grieving the loss of another life. 

Weeks after the disappearance of the plague, Romeo and Juliet revealed their secret to their families, who rejoiced at the good news. The families bustled through Verona to prepare a proper ceremony in an attempt to leave their sorrow behind. 

 

Juliet sat alone in her room, looking out from her balcony into the sky. Fluffy white clouds rolled across the blue, signalling good weather for the wedding. It didn’t comfort her, her mind was somewhere else. She didn’t realize that her nurse was sitting next to her until Angelica put a hand on her arm. 

“I know, dear,” She said, a small smile on her face despite the tears brimming her eyes. “I miss him too. But he would want you to be happy right now.”

“I just wish he was here,” Juliet murmured, leaning against Angelica for some kind of comfort. 

“He’s here in your heart, sweet Juliet,” Angelica whispered before standing, taking Juliet’s hand. “Now come, you have a man to marry again.”

Juliet smiled, wiping a tear from her face before letting Angelica lead her out.

 

Everyone in Verona was in attendance, and they watched the ceremony with tear soaked faces. Friar Laurence smiled down at the two after finishing his spiel, and Romeo and Juliet kissed to a chorus of cheers from the crowd. As they parted, the two looked out across the people of Verona before spotting two familiar faces at the back of the crowd. 

Mercutio and Tybalt stood, seeming to shimmer in the summer air. Tybalt smiled and raised a hand, leaning his head against Mercutio’s chest. Mercutio blew them a kiss, a mischievous grin on his face, before the two disappeared in a shower of flower petals. 

Juliet grinned, her cheeks hurting from sheer joy. Tears brimmed in her eyes before she tucked her face into Romeo’s chest, laughing. Romeo hugged her, smiling into her hair. Their happiness spread like a wildfire through the crowd, igniting a fierce joy that Verona hadn’t experienced in decades.

Benvolio watched from the crowd, a small smile on his face. The peace that had settled in Verona was here to stay. He was happy.

 

* * *

 

“You really don’t want to go back?” Mercutio asked, plucking apart a rose petal by petal and releasing them into the breeze.

“I think they’ll be alright without me,” Tybalt laughed, leaning against Mercutio. “Besides, I think I’d rather be with you.”

“Even after I almost killed you?”

“To be fair, I killed you first.”

“Accidentally,” Mercutio teased.

Tybalt shrugged. “We’re here now, aren’t we? Why not leave the past behind, right?”

“Right,” Mercutio grinned, pressing a kiss to Tybalt’s forehead. “Now you’re stuck with me forever.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Tybalt smiled before tugging Mercutio down into a kiss, letting the summer breeze carry them back home.

**Author's Note:**

> Link to benvoliio's awesome art: https://unlinedpapers.tumblr.com/post/185215667876/bet-you-didnt-think-that-id-come-back-to-life


End file.
